Strengthen Creative Thinking in IT Teams
Enhance your organisation’s ability to innovate by creating a supportive, adaptable and collaborative workplace. This module is essential for learners pursuing a higher certificate in IT or anyone interested in an IT course that encourages forward-thinking problem solving.
What is this course about?
This course explores how to design a modern workplace culture that supports innovation and continuous improvement. Learners will discover the value of open communication shared leadership, flexible work methods and digital collaboration tools. These skills are vital in IT environments, where adaptability and innovation are key to success.
Why take this course on innovative work environments?
The IT field thrives on innovation. Whether you are entering the workforce or advancing your role, this course gives you the administrative and interpersonal skills to foster new ideas and support digital transformation. It’s a powerful addition to any higher certificate in IT and can give you an edge in any IT role.
What youwill gain from this course:
- Create inclusive, creative, and team-oriented workspaces
- Apply innovative strategies to IT-related tasks and projects
- Promote a culture of open feedback and continuous learning
- Use collaboration tools effectively to support remote or hybrid teams
- Improve productivity and employee engagement in dynamic IT settings
Overview
This unit standard is intended for managers in all economic sectors.
Description
This unit standard is intended for managers in all economic sectors. These managers would typically be second level managers such as heads of department, section heads or divisional heads, who may have more than one team reporting to them. The qualifying learner is capable of analysing own unit in terms of opportunities for innovation, demonstrating understanding of the techniques that promote creativity, developing a plan for creating an environment conducive to innovation and leading a team through a creative thinking process.
Innovation is important as it is one of the primary ways to differentiate your product from the competition. If you can’t compete on price, you’ll need innovative products and ideas to make your business stand out from the crowd.
- 1. Introduction
- 1.1 The Concept of Innovation
- 1.1.1 Barriers to innovation
- 1.2 Environment conducive to innovation
- 1.2.1 (incl. 1.2.2 & 1.2.3) Communication
- 1.2.4 Processes
- 1.2.5 Incentivise innovation
- 1.3 Assessing the culture of innovation
- 1.4 Interpreting and analysing findings
- 1.4.1 Detailed analysis
- 1.4.2 Interpreting information
Some of you may think that creativity is an inborn trait rather than something that can be learned and developed. This may be so, but without a conducive environment for creativity to be expressed, how can we expect to see ideas arising from creative employees?
- 2. (incl. 2.1) Concept of creativity
- 2.2(1) Creativity techniques
- 2.2(2) Mind mapping
- 2.2(3) Lateral thinking
- 2.2(4) Problem-solving technique
How do you promote innovation in your own organisation? Organisations should develop a plan for creating an environment conducive to innovation. This will be covered in this section.
- 3. (incl. 3.1) Role of a unit manager in creating an environment conducive to innovation
- 3.2 Developing a plan to create an environment conducive to innovation
- 3.3 The process of implementing an environment conducive to innovation
- 3.4 Promoting the plan
Creative thinking is the process which we use when we come up with a new idea. It is the merging of ideas which have not been merged before. This creative thinking process can be accidental or deliberate.
- 4. Introduction
- 4.1 Application of creativity techniques
- 4.1.1 Brainstorming
- 4.1.2 Mind mapping
- 4.1.3 Lateral thinking
- 4.2 General alternative solutions
- 4.3 Selecting the best alternative
- 4.4 Developing a concept for implementation
- Non-accredited: Short course only
- Duration: 1h 30m
- Delivery: Classroom/Online/Blended
- Access Period: 12 Months
